Required Reading
From late last year, George Packer of the Atlantic summarized the last 60 years of the GOP and nailed it, from pre-Goldwater to the Trump era. Best quote:
“The corruption of the Republican Party in the Trump era seemed to set in with breathtaking speed. In fact, it took more than a half century to reach the point where faced with a choice between democracy and power, the party chose the latter. Its leaders don’t see a dilemma—democratic principles turn out to be disposable tools, sometimes useful, sometimes inconvenient. The higher cause is conservatism, but the highest is power.”
it gives a blistering picture of what we non-GOPers face against “true believers”. And it ain’t pretty.
“It flows from the party’s politics, which seeks to delegitimize opponents and institutions, purify the ranks through purges and coups, and agitate followers with visions of apocalypse—all in the name of an ideological cause that every year loses integrity as it becomes indistinguishable from power itself.”
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“…We need to remember the difference in the balance of power between ordinary people – private citizens and public officials.
When the highest among us are held to the lowest standard of behavior and the LEAST of us are held to the highest scrutiny… Where does that lead us?
When we have this inversion where the government knows everything about us and we know nothing about them because of state secrets, where does that lead us? And the laws that had been at least intended or we hope, engineered to protect us are increasing used to violate us. Where does that lead?
I would say to you ladies and gentlemen, don’t take it lightly when you run into conflict with the law. But remember that what is legal is not necessarily moral. That is not the determinant of right and wrong.
And sometimes ladies and gentlemen, the only moral decision is to break the law.”
– Edward Snowden
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/05/31/edward-snowden-technology-institutions-have-made-most-effective-means-social-control
1In 1952, Joe Alsop, a progressive Republican who despised Eisenhower still urged his friends to see that the Republicans won. His reason was that if, after 20 years out of the White House, the party stayed out of power, it would turn into a native fascist party.
He was right, too. The purge of genuine conservatives began when Ike replaced Taft, accelerated in ’64, was nearly complete in ’80 and it is now a native fascist party without a single conservative.
2So disturbing but not surprising. Progressive strategists cannot forget that the rank and file believers are also VERY strong in their beliefs. The handyman that I have used for yrs told me recently that he’s very happy to have a crazy person with access to the nuclear codes (this after telling me the old washing machine was too expensive to repair. Not sure what made me sadder.). He believes that the crazy makes us stronger because other countries will be too afraid to cross the U.S. No telling what frump will do! There’s plenty of voters that believe that the unstable genius is great for the country………no matter how embarrassing he can be. I can’t imagine what will change their minds. Sigh.
3Lets Review
https://www.truthdig.com/cartoons/lets-review/
4megasoid –
5I believe it’s like an episode of Law & Order, where the first half hour constitutes the investigatory part of the process. Then, with the court indisposed, the second half hour becomes 30 minutes of commercials for the 2020 election.
Rick @3
Yes, except the first half hour took 2 years of angst for the unsatisfying conclusion and the second half hour will take umpteen months more to wade through. I think that’s what Mr. Fish was trying to convey.
I don’t watch TV anymore and still fight to keep advertising off my browsing experience.
6The republi-cons & -can’ts began this journey with seeking revenge for Goldwater’s fall and attributed the fall to the ‘Daisy Ad’. Then came the nixon fiasco, Bush[41]’s tax increase, and then Clinton’s survival, the serial moral failures in the House along with court enforced liberal wins as well as O’Bama’s successes, despite turtle’s serial opposition and the structural discrimination practiced by the minority.
Methinks the ultimate goal is So.African style apertied. White male rule over minorities population instead of a democraticaly elected government.
7Actually, I believe current political events are more accurately portrayed by the ShowTime series: Penny Dreadful – Monsters, demons and the criminally insane, living among normal people.
Here are some clips:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Penny+Dreadful
8mega, I too, love Penny Dreadful.
9Liberal, conservative, progressive, socialist ie, what do these terms mean? Is everyone on the same page definition-wise? Eg, former CO gov hickenlooper tells crowd in CA that socialism is not the answer. I think Bernie has a different definition of the term even tho he modified it with “progressive”.
10Hello – who’s on first? Am I missing where these these words are used with or without intent perjoratively as opposed to dictionary definitions?
Does it make sense, if the above is true, to hammer away with the authoritative definitions rather than let the bad guys determine their meanings?
It seems that the repubs have a good grasp of this over the years. Dems? Not so much.
van heldor @10
Ha, he was torched by the crowd:
Loud, sustained booing followed the comment, prompting Hickenlooper to tell the crowd they could re-elect President Donald Trump if they weren’t “careful.”
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/06/02/read-room-hickenlooper-booed-california-democratic-convention-decrying-socialism
11That puts things in the most accurate perspective yet.
12Depressing as hell.
The one sentence that got my attention the most was “In rendering voters voiceless, it pushes everyone closer to the use of undemocratic means.”
jmho, but Hickenlooper’s appeal to an imaginary donor base in an imaginary place placed him at #24 in a field of 25 right behind that coffee guy somewhat nicer twin of Donnie. Or, maybe John was dog whistling to Chuck Schumer and Debbie WTF Schultz. Guess he didn’t get the word from Heidi Heitkamp and Claire McCaskill that Republicon-lite doesn’t win elections.
Barry Goldwater certainly put the word out about embracing the religious extremists having a zombie effect. But Republicon delusions of hegemony would be remiss without a shout out to backlash to the New Deal and footprint of the Seven Sisters.
13I would argue the thrist for power just for its own sake goes back to the founding of the party with the radical in congress impeaching Andrew johnson, racist scum that he was.
14Continued through the election of hayes where the thuglicans sought, and did, thwart the will of the popular vate by cutting a deal with some of the traitor states ( thus reinforceing their history of treason) to end reconstruction in exchange for the white house.
Do not forget the “bloody Shirt” era where thuglicans justified anything and everything by waving the bloody shirt of the civil war.
Oh and let us not overlook the “bankers Plot” of 1932 where with bankers money the thuglicans sought a coup against FDR and when caught proceeded to protect their patrons from any repercussions for their attempted treason.
So with the one brief moment of Lincoln’s administration when exactly were the thugs interested in anything but raw power at any cost?
Had a history professor in undergrad who referred tot he GOP as the Tory party. Tory as in them that despised those who upended colonial rule and broke away from England in the 18th Century. Right on of course but today he would be considered decidedly tactful.
15This rings true. a lifelong Republican who I have known for years recently told me he hopes Trump can rile up the crowd at one of his rallies to kill a reporter. He thinks that will ‘get the press in line’. What astounded me is that he is a professed born again Christian. I quickly asked if he thought Jesus would approve of that, he began yelling at me and I hung up on him.
IMO they’ve always been like this. Its just that the restraints are off now. They feel license to be out with it.
16The Tory of 1765 was loyal to a different Crown than the current day Republicon loyal to the Crown of Russia. Whatever would a commie behind every tree McCarthy think of these guys?
“If you must break the law, do it to seize power.” – Julius Caesar
Caesar with an answer to our next step to their next step which would be consolidating their power. Impeach Orange Foolius in the House, then take the fight over to Old Scratch McConnell over in the Senate where most of the more recent power grabs have been taking place. #ImpeachOrTheStreets
17Joe Hill:
18Donnie Douchebag is Ronald Reagan without the misdirection.
And on top of all this, did Bob Mueller actually have a 3 count indictment on obstruction ready to roll? Inquiring minds want to know.
19